Improvement in safety-lamps



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. R. HARDER. SAFETY-LAMP.

Patente'd May 8,1877.

um.. 4 S2 l Y jizz/@dow NPETEHS. FMOTO-LITHOGRAFMER. WASHINGTON. Dv C,

2 sheets-.sheet z.

11. R. HARDER.

SAFETY-LAMP Patented May 8. 1877.

NPETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGYDN, D. C.

UNITED STATES DENNIS R. HARDER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SAFETY-LAMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 190,432, dated May 8,1877; application led March 30, 1877.

Vsection through the wick-tube and its inclosing safety-tube. Fig. 3 isa vertical central section of the lower part of the said tubes made at aright angle to the section, as represented in Fig. l. Figs. 4, 5, and 6are modications of certain details of the invention.

The nature of my invention consists in certain improved constructions,combinations, and arragements of parts, as hereinafter described andspecifically claimed, whereby a coal-oil lamp is produced which, in anyposition it occupies, prevents the escape of gas l from ythe lamp-globetoward the flame, thereby avoiding tha danger of explosion.

In the drawings, A, Fig. 1, represents the collar of a lamp-globe, whichis partly represented by dotted lines in said ligure. B is a tube, whichforms the extension ot' the inner part of the said collar A. C is atube, containing the wick-tube D. This tube C is fitted into thelamp-tube B, and at its top supports the burner and other ordinaryattachments. A screw-thread, c, is formed on the inside of the collar A,and a male screw-thread formed on the outside of the tube C, ts into it,and by this means the tube C, with the aid of its long bearing in thelamp-tube B, is heldin position. The lamp-tube B, at its lower end, maybe provided with an annular swell or rim, b, over which the end of arubber tube, E, is drawn, which tube E, by its own weight, lies at thebottom or lowest part of the globe, and consequently admits oil as longas there is any, no matter in what position the lampglobe may be placed;for if suchv lamp or globe should be turned to a horizontal position, orturned upside down, the tube E, which is made very limber or iiexible,would always adjust itself` toward the lowest part, Where the oil is,and thus insure the supply of oil, and at the same time prevent theadmission ot any gas from the lamp-bowl into the wick-tube. The end-ofthe tube E might be weighted with a metal ring, or otherwise, to enforceits downward tendency. The space between the inner tube C and wick-tubeD is iilled with asbestus or other non-conducting material, as seen at din Figs. 2 and 3; or, instead of the filling d the tube C and thewicktube D might be made of one piece, as illustrated by the horizontalsection of Fig. 4,and just fill the entire diameter of the tube B.

By the modification shown by Fig. 5, it is4 seen that the lamp-tube Bmight be introduced into the lamp as a separate piece, under whichconstruction it is made to bear upwardly by means of a spring, F,attached to its lower end and resting on the bottom ofthe oil-chamberagainst a rubber packing-ring, f, on the under side edge of the collarA. By this construction the tube is held in place and packed air or gastight by the india-rubber washer f, or its equivalent. Instead of havingseparate lamp-tubes, either as in Fig. l or Fig. 5, the lamp may beprovided with a tube, B, as in Fig. 6, of the same material as theglobe, which tube is formed at the time the globe is made. A flexibletube, E, would be attached to the lamp-tube B in this case, by inwardlyclamping it near the footof the lamp-tube B by means of an elasticexpansible tension ring or collar before the tube C is inserted. In allof the plans of construction shown the principle of the invention isstrictly adhered to, namely, providing alamp-tube which excludes gasfrom the wick for tightly inclosing the Wick-tube along its wholelength, said lamp and wick tubes extendiug very nearly to the bottom ofthe oil-reservoir. For ordinary household-lamps the iiexible tube wouldnot be veryrnecessary, but in railroad and other lamps lable to besubjected to violent jolting and swinging movements it is important.

lt' will be seen that by my construction the following advantages aregained: First, the fastening-screw and joint of the burner andlamp-collar are not subjected to leakage of gas accumulating in thelamp-globe above the surface of theoil, this being dueto the elongationof the inner part of the collar, so that its lower end is submerged inthe oil, and that the gas between it, the globe, and the oil isprevented from escaping, the collar being under all circumstanceshermetically fastened upon the globe; second, if the surface of the oilshould accidentally, either from want of supply or by change of positionof the lamp, leave the end ofthe tubes B or E exposed to the gas in theglobe, tbejoint or fit of the pipes B C would prevent the entrance ofgas, while the saturated Wick in the wick-tube prevents the escape ofgas through the Wick-tube; and if the joint between the pipes B C shouldnot be absolutely hermetic, there would be a very small space at thesaid joint, which, by capillary attraction, Would be constantly filledwith oil, which would prevent the escape of gases like a packing. TheWick-tube and the tube C are of such construction as to make the escapeof gas between them impossible, and thus an explosion from anyothercause than thebreaking of the globe is entirely prevented by myimproved construction. The outside or lamptube could be constructed torest on the bottom of the lamp-globe, but in such case the extreme lowerend would have holes or notches around it and in its bottom edge. Thus,having the tube rest on the bottom would help to steady it.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the lamp-tube B, of the wick-tube C d, whichhas only a wickpassage, D, through it, and is made from thelamp-collarpto its lower end of a diameter which tits snug to theinterior surface of the lamp-tube all around, substantially in themanner shown and described.

2. In an oil-lamp, the combination of the lamp-tu be B, wick-tube C, andexible tube E, substantially as set forth.

. Witness my hand iu the matter of my application for a patent for animproved safetylamp.

DENNIS R. HARDER.

Witnesses:

E. P. HILLIARD, J, F. SNYDER.

